Africa Wild

Black-winged Kite

Distribution and Habitat
The Black-winged Kite is one of the most common of the raptors in most of the region, at home in grasslands, woodlands and semi-arid areas, avoiding only the extremely dry areas and the forested areas. Its range is extensive, and these little raptors are found throughout Africa south of the Sahara, as well as parts of Asia, and its range may well be extending.

Description
Quite small for a raptor, with a length of around 30 cm, it is pale grey above and white below, with a black patch on the upperwing. The legs and feet are yellow; the bill black and the eyes red. The forward-facing eyes and soft plumage is somewhat owl-like. Sexes are alike in plumage, with the female being slightly larger than the male.

Feeding
They very often hunt from telephone poles or other convenient perches, or may hover, very much like a kestrel, over open ground from where they descend quickly when prey is spotted. Food is mainly small rodents, grasshoppers, lizards and small birds.

Breeding
The nest of the monogamous Black-winged Kite is a small platform of sticks, usually lined with grass and typically located near the top of a thorn tree, just below the canopy. The female lays a clutch of three or four cream-coloured eggs that are spotted with red, and which hatch after an incubation period of about 31 days.

Black-shouldered Kite






And a juvenile:

Some more of these fabulous little raptors.........

An adult ruffles it's feathers as it perches up high in KTP.


Then has a good stretch as it peers down on us.


A juvenile flies around at Rietvlei reserve.


And lands on a dead branch.


Before taking off and flying around above the bakkie.


Flashing the black wing patches.


Turning in flight.


Putting on a turn of speed.


Checking us out.


Hovering.

Beautiful pics of my favourite small raptor

The first one I saw was in Rietvlei. Not a nice pic, but a nice memory :D

Nice shots

Some more of perched birds.

superb bird, superb little raptor

I've got 2 too

I've been fascinated by this little Raptor (Black Shouldered Kite) ever since I saw one in Cape Town on my first visit to South Africa. Most of you will be familiar with this bird as it often perches on roadside poles or wires and hovers over the verges in search of prey.

Typical view of one perched on roadside wires.


This one caught a Vlei Rat and was being mobbed by a Common Fiscal as it tried to find somewhere quiet to eat it's catch.


A juvenile calls incessantly for food from atop a bush.


Something in the grass below caught it's eye.


Still screaming loudly, it takes off in search of it's parents.








An adult circles overhead, it's white tail feathers glowing in the sunshine.

Black Shouldered Kite

nice pictures, nice bird

Lovely photos here of a really beautiful little raptor. I had read this thread before leaving for Addo and it was my plan to capture one for you Dewi....

So "here's looking at you, Dewi".......